Turning Tables
by TVObssessedGirl28
Summary: Based on 'Life Less Ordinary'. What happens when Cal is more seriously injured than it would seem? This is a rewrite of an old story that I'd previously wrote. I thought I might rewrite it and improve it as I thought it wasn't as good as it could have been.


The explosion of the car sounded through the air. It was so forceful that Cal was thrown backwards by the roaring flames. Both Iain and Dixie looked on as they saw Cal land onto the ground, motionless. For Dixie it had brought back the painful memories of the car crash and the ensuing explosion that killed Jeff. Iain rolled the patient into the back of the ambulance while Dixie ran over to an unconscious Cal.

"Cal!" Dixie shouted as she collapsed down beside him.

When she received no answer from him she began to panic. She began to have flashbacks. No, this can't be happening, Dixie thought. Not again. Not like Jeff.

"Come on, mate." Dixie said as she shook Cal's shoulders.

Once the patient was stable and settled into the ambulance Iain ran back out. He too, was worried when he saw Dixie trying to get a response from Cal.

"Is he alive?" Iain asked, as he tried to get his breath back.

He didn't receive an answer.

"Dix!" Iain repeated. "Is he alive?"

Frantically Dixie shook her head.

"No, I can't feel a pulse."

This time Iain fell to his knee beside her. He placed two fingers against Cal's neck hoping Dixie had only missed it. But, he too couldn't feel anything.

"No, Cal. Don't do this. Come on, stay alive." Iain breathed as he began chest compressions.

 ** _CASUALTY CASUALTY CASUALTY CASUALTY CASUALTY CASUALTY CASUALTY_**

The double doors to the ED opened. Standing in front of reception stood Connie, Charlie, Robyn and Lofty. The four of them turned around at the sound of the doors sliding open. They saw the two paramedics and the two paramedics saw Ethan. Ethan noticed them too. Connie was about to ask them to give them an update on the patient, but then she noticed the expressions on their faces. The two paramedics were worryingly silent.

"What is it?" Connie asked, her voice trying not to sound broken with emotion.

Dixie and Iain both looked towards Ethan. It was when they looked in his direction first, that Ethan felt a tight know form in his stomach. Walking over towards his colleagues, Ethan stopped beside Connie. The other three gathered round too, all waiting for someone to tell them what was going on. Dixie saw all of them looking at her. She knew she had to tell them what had happened, but her mind went blank. The scenario was all too familiar to her and it scared her. This was how she had broke the news of what happened to Jeff. Now she was going to do it all over again, all in the space of 2 years. Iain, stood next to her could sense that Dixie was finding it difficult to say the words so he decided to step in instead. He cleared his throat before beginning.

"We've got bad news." Iain announced.

The others were now really worried. So far they hadn't heard about any of their friends being involved in an accident so they waited for him to carry on.

"I'm afraid there's been a car explosion." Iain continued.

"And?" Connie urged.

"Cal's dead."

Everyone went silent. No one dared to speak. It was the same atmosphere when they found out about Jeff. It was complete shock. Ethan broke from the crowd upon hearing his brother's name.

"What?" He asked, hoping he had only misheard what Iain had said.

Iain turned towards him. Tears clearly in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, mate. Cal died at the scene."

Ethan froze to the spot shaking his head.

 _No, not Cal._ He thought.

"What happened?" Ethan inquired.

"Earlier, today Dix and I were called out on a shout. There had been an RTC. Arriving on the scene we saw three cars smashed. Cal was there treating a patient. He was unharmed except for a small head wound. We saw that one of the cars had caught alight and was now burning so we knew we had to get the patient out immediately. We did get out, but then Cal turned around and walked back to the car. That's when we heard it. The explosion and Cal was thrown from the flames."

By this point everyone were too stunned to say anything. Ethan, on the other had felt his knees buckle and he collapsed to the floor with his breaths becoming labored. Charlie and Lofty went over to him.

"It's okay, Ethan. Just breath for me." Charlie said, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"He can't be dead." Ethan whispered to himself.

Dixie had somehow managed to find her voice again. So she walked over to where Ethan was bent over.

"We did everything we could, Ethan." Dixie informed him as she crouched down.

Ethan continued to shake his head in disbelief. He didn't want to accept what his friends were trying to tell him. Dixie looked to the floor unsure of what to say or do. Instead Charlie and Lofty decided to leave Ethan away towards the staff room.

"Where is Cal now?" Connie asked once Ethan had gone.

"He's in the back of the ambulance. Cops wanted him to moved to the morgue, but when we told them he was one of ours, they granted us permission to bring him back to Holby." Iain replied.

"Alright. Bring him into RESUS. I want Ethan to be able to have a few moments with him alone."

Iain and Dixie nodded then left. Meanwhile in the staffroom, Ethan had managed to calm down a bit but, still kept repeating over and over again Cal's name. Charlie sat beside him.

"I know he and I had our disagreements," Ethan said as he wiped his eyes. "but, he was my brother. He was my arrogant, reckless, annoying brother. Most of all he was my big brother. A big brother I looked up to. And I loved him."

"I know."

"So why did he have to leave me? Why did he have to do what he did?" Ethan cried.

"You can't blame him for dying."

"Why can't I? He was the one who said he could let anything happen to me, so how can he protect me now that's he's dead?"

Ethan broke down again and fell against Charlie.

"I just want him back, Charlie. I just want my big brother back."


End file.
